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Friday, March 21, 2014

don't let the bed bugs bite

When a patient comes in with bed bugs I am scratching for the whole day. Its like the idea that I was even around a bed bug creates this psychological need to scratch.

So let me explain the havoc a small little bug can cause in a hospital:

1) When you have a patient with bed bugs we are supposed to don this plastic jumpsuit (see picture). (You can imagine how an old woman like me looks in this getup. I can barely manage to get it on).
2) The patient undresses and all the clothes are double bagged.
3) The patient is supposed to shower (doesn't happen much).
4) This is my favorite part: If you observe a bed bug you are supposed to have a specimen cup at the ready and put the bed bug in there. So let me get this straight: you want me to chase the bed bug around the room and try to convince it to jump into the cup? Come on....come on...little bug jump in...I don't think so. You have to draw the line someplace with this job.
5) Send it to lab for identification.

Here's a suggestion: don't come to the ER if you have bed bugs. Simple really.

1 comment:

Anonymous
said...

Yes! Once you hear the word bedbug you feel the immediate need scratch, especially when you know you've been in the same vicinity as them. In my opinion, if someone has them at the hospital, they need to be quarantined. I think it's so funny that at my old job people would call nine months later and say it was our fault they got bedbugs. They don't take time to come out, you either have them or you don't. I've met people who have had to move and get everything new, from furniture to clothes. I could not imagine. I get itchy just thinking about it.-MH